Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-01-05
LITTLE WORKERS.
Swiss Lacemakers and the Proa,..
OF Their Toll.

Every little toddling in Switzerland
must earn Its living as scan as it can
lisp Its own name, either In some work
or IN taking care OF one younger than
itself. All along the roadside throrgb
the valleys are little board sbelteTs
where, on shelves thus protected. wo,d
carvings and Swiss lace are Offered r,r
sale, or little, bright-eyed, slen6ar-
limbed chamois, tended by some child
IS to be seen for few centimes. 10 "a
added to the store which is to keeD
these people from starvation DURING 4 =
long winter, for which they must look
out with care.
Under one of these sheds to-dav 7
saw two little girls, who had n in
charge, and stopped to speak with
them. Both Were making lace. tt.sr
little fingers flying so that 1 cou.d
hardly see them, as they handled tie
,bobbins, any more than the spokes ~
wheel in full motion, and the small
est of these children was no laroar
than are most children at : wears -
In our country, though she told ms she
was s. When 1 patted the little head
and expressed surprise that such litJle
thing should be able to make lace so
nicely, the older sister told me with
loving pride, that Anna had earned Ler
own liviag by lace working already for
two years. They begged me to buy the
piece l saw her making, "for there are
five Of u.s." they said, 1.-TWO younger
than we are, and we are sehr arme tres
pauvre, very poor" they said, trying
IN three languages, to make me cen-
prehend the situation and induce me to
buy. Both could read and write they
told me.
Sand where is your mother7" 1
asked.
She was IN the field, and their father
was 'trager." /. e., one who stays
about the hotels and gets any job tht
comes to hand of carrying people,
afraid or unable to go up the lGount,ins
on horseback or on mules, up il q
chair set upon a litter, borne by two
such men, for exactly the same pricsas
IS paid for horse, and the one nan
who leads him up with the man or
woman on his back. Or a 'tragtr"
carries up their Trunks upon his sholl-
ders while they thus ride up borneby
other "tragers" The sisters begged
me to buy, assuring me again that they
were very poor; they wanted 10 get
some breakfast they said.
And have you had no breakfast yetr
L asked, for it was now past II O'Clock.
'Sehr wenig," they said. very little.
The mother could not give them any
this morning; she must go to the fed.
The elder seemed mother-like, most
anxious that the little one should make
a sale of her lace, though little Anna
said: "Y on see hers Is nicer than mlre,
for she is older, yoH see, and can make
much nicer lace than l can; of course,
my lady, 1t is better that you buy hers
than mine"
thcugnE OF WorGsworeA's IN.
We Are Seven" The beauty 81
their kindliness and love for each
other in their poverty, if not of face or
feature, made me glad" Both We're
exquisitely clean,-face and hands and
hair. This was also neatly combed.
There were no bangs falling over their
foreheads, but every hair was drawn
back and fastened, as though not
stray hair should blind their eyes or
hinder them in their work. We drove
back thr2ngh this valley. and the sun
had long been out of sight behind the
high western mountains, when We
passed their little stall. Both were
there still at work. their little fingers
flying no less nimbly than in the mcrn-
ing when first saw them. They rec
ognized me, and bowed and smiled
gratefully for the poor. small purchase
l had made OF them. l dare say it was
the only sale they had made during
the day. Dear little Swiss lace makers,
in the valley of Laterbrunnen! you
gave me far more than l did you in the
few francs paid for your lace.